by Jaz Primo
He turned and I watched him practically leap onto and up the flight of concrete steps leading toward the Capitol entrance.
“Mr. Bringer?” asked Dulles as handed me a sheaf of papers.
As I thumbed through the papers, it looked more like the rough script for a court drama, heavily laden with terminology that I could only begin to describe as legalese.
“What’s all this crap?” I asked as our limo pulled away.
“Your agenda and information on protocol and rules of conduct,” Dulles replied. “There’s also map to help lead you to the correct chamber.”
“Tell me there’s not a quiz on all this,” I said.
Dulles appeared unamused. “Please try to be on time, Mr. Bringer,” he said. “The session will start promptly.”
I watched as he hurried to catch up with his boss.
“That guy’s all personality,” I said.
Sanders touched my arm. “Bringer, though I’m not much on men in shining armor riding to my rescue, thanks for speaking up for me back there in the limo,” she said.
“Are you kidding? We’re a team, you and me,” I said. “Hey, I, for one, admired your sense of restraint during our chat with Conway.”
“It was hard. He’s a misogynist asshole,” she said. “He’s lucky there’s a lot at stake here or I’d have punched him squarely in the face.”
I chuckled over the vision of that. And yet I harbored little doubt she’d follow through on that, too.
“Yeah, I’d have paid handsomely to see that,” I said.
“Listen, I’d hate to think that I’m holding you back from an opportunity here,” Sanders said. “Maybe if you were on the inside with them we’d make more headway.”
Her eyes held a sad look, and I wanted to pull her into my arms and embrace her. Instead, I reached out and grasped her by the shoulders.
“Hey, you listen to me. We go together or not at all, got it? You’ve got my back and I’ve got yours. We’re so much more than a team…we’re partners.”
Her look of appreciation was priceless.
“Yeah, partners.”
“C’mon partner,” I said, taking the steps before us at a run. “Let’s go kick some bureaucratic ass.”
We’d no sooner made it into the building when I stopped short, Sanders halting beside me.
“What is it?” she asked. “Do you sense something?”
“Damn, this place is bigger than life in person,” I said. “You don’t get a true sense of this place on the news.”
“You’ve never been here?” she asked.
“Are you kidding? Washington, D.C. is the last place I ever wanted to hang around,” I replied. “Granted, it embodies all the long-haired history that would give a nerd a hard-on.”
“Bringer, I spent a season here volunteering as a Congressional page while in college,” she said.
I gave her a cautious sidelong glance. “Well, nerds are okay people, too. Though I was always more of an in-the-field sort of guy.”
“You have such a way with words, Bringer,” she said. “And by in-the-field, I suppose you mean blowing things up?”
“Yeah, what else?” I countered. “Explosives were my specialty, after all.”
She shook her head at me and reached out to take the Capitol map from me. “C’mon, Sergeant C-4,” she said, taking the lead.
When we reached the Capitol Rotunda, I spotted my old friend Paul Criswell standing amongst a cluster of other politicians.
Paul was a former sergeant and the fire team leader in my unit during my tour in Iraq. We had become best of friends after trading off saving each other’s lives on multiple occasions during combat. And while I had returned home to an unwelcome brain cancer diagnosis, Paul had skyrocketed into the role of a freshman congressman from New York.
I was fortunate that he did. Not only had he somehow assured my placement into Nuclegene Corporation’s experimental treatment program for my cancer, he had also helped me understand some of the convoluted political machinations at play since the explosion of the Wallace Building.
As we neared him, I waved to get his attention. He smiled when he spotted us, then excused himself from his peers and rushed to meet us.
“Hey, there’s my favorite sci-fi experiment,” he said, embracing me in a fraternal hug. “Hello, Agent Sanders. Are you keeping this guy out of trouble?”
“Hello, Congressman,” she replied. “And, as for Bringer, it’s a full-time job, I’m afraid.”
“Yeah, Paul,” I said. “I figured I’d come to your home turf and wreak havoc for a change.”
“Better not,” he said with an arched eyebrow. “Not these days, anyway. While I’m one of the committee members attending the session that you’re here for, I’m in the minority party and a junior member on my committee, so don’t expect me to be able to bail you out of too much trouble.”
“Bail him out? With both of you in the same Capitol together?” Sanders asked. “I have the feeling that we’re all in trouble now. Can the Republic survive it?”
I looked sidelong at her. “Paul’s renowned for his schmoozing. He always managed to get invited to all the good parties, so I should’ve known that Mr. Politics wouldn’t miss out on something like this,” I said to Sanders.
“Careful there,” he said. “You never know, my political connections might inevitably come in handy.”
“Speaking of politics, I’m not sure how much you know about what happened in the UK, but one presidential phone call from Graydon was all it took for the Brits to put our asses on the plane to get here,” I said.
His expression turned serious. “Yeah, I heard a little about that. Very little, I’m afraid.”
“I’ll fill you in on the details, if we have time,” I said. “And we had an interesting limo ride with Senator Conway on the way over here today.”
“Oh, really?” Paul asked. He looked around to see who was standing nearby and then glanced at his watch. “We’ve got some time before things start, but let’s not talk about any of it standing out here.”
“Well, then, show us to your office,” I suggested.
* * *
Paul’s office was small and devoid of any elaborate amenities, though it looked professional enough.
“Nice digs,” I said. “Though I have to admit, I expected a bit more glamor.”
“Well, it beats working out of the back of a Humvee,” he replied. “But you should see the Minority Whip’s office.”
A television displayed one of the twenty-four-hour news channels where there appeared to be breaking news.
“…a moderate 5.6 magnitude earthquake that struck central Oklahoma earlier today,” said a female newscaster. “While there were only minor injuries, numerous reports are still coming in regarding damages to homes and businesses.
“This is yet another quake to strike this region, attributed to the decades of oil and gas fracking that have dominated the state,” the newscaster continued.
“Unfortunately for residents and business owners, private insurance companies are legislatively exempted from having to pay on policies related to man-made events that mimic natural disasters. In addition, the oil and natural gas industry is protected from liability due to legislation passed years ago by the Oklahoma State Legislature. This raises the question of whether private industry should be held accountable for acts attributed to their interests. Some residents are outraged over—”
“Private companies continue to run amok,” Paul said. “Meanwhile, I really feel for all those private citizens who are going to have to secure private loans for repairs to cover the damages.”
“Yeah, poor bastards,” I said.
“You’re all heart, Bringer,” Sanders said.
“Hey, sorry, but I’m not the one who elected the idiot politicians who’ve protected the oil and gas industry,” I said. “The way I see it, when it comes to voting, you pretty much get what you deserve if you keep re-electing idiots.”
“Unassailab
le civic logic, as always,” Paul said. “It might be sunnier if more than thirty percent of the population actually voted. People have lost faith in our elected systems.”
“Aw, you’re not going to get all civics lecture-y on me now, are you?” I asked.
“Wait, look,” Sanders said, pointing to the TV screen.
“…where our reporter on Capitol Hill managed to catch up with one of Oklahoma’s legislative members, Freedom Party co-chair Senator Penelope Savage, just moments ago,” the newscaster continued.
Senator Savage’s face filled the screen.
“Senator, do you have any comments regarding today’s earthquake?” the reporter asked.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Oklahoma at this challenging time,” she said. “It’s a very unfortunate event.”
“Senator, what about the question of whether the oil and gas industry should take some responsibility for the series of earthquakes that have plagued the state in recent years?”
“It’s important to note that the oil and gas industries are a major part of our state’s economy, as well as integral to our nation’s national security and oil independence. As for liabilities, I’m afraid that’s a matter for state officials to confront,” she smoothly replied.
“But Senator, shouldn’t Oklahomans have the right to seek redress for damages from corporate-made disasters?” the reporter asked.
Senator Savage held up her hand. “The people of Oklahoma are resilient and no strangers to disasters and tragedy. For those who may find it too harsh, there’s nobody forcing them to reside in the state. Of course, I’ll continue to pray for those who were adversely affected by this tragedy. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m focused on matters of national security at this time.”
I turned to Sanders. “And you said that I was all heart?”
“Shh,” Sanders admonished.
“What about the recent terrorist activities that took place in Wales?” the reporter prompted. “As a sitting member on the Senate’s Homeland Security Committee, what can you tell us about our government’s response? Is there any intelligence indicating that a similar attack is imminent here in the U.S.?”
“Intelligence is still being gathered, though the potential for further terrorism is always possible,” she replied. “However, I can’t comment further at this time. In fact, I’m on my way to a closed door session right now. Again, if you’ll please excuse me.”
The camera feed continued as the senator walked away with two of her aides trailing after her.
Sanders looked at me. “Okay, so maybe you’re not the least compassionate person I’ve seen today. The ice lady has you beat.”
“This is going to sound a little crazy, but I wish that all we had to worry about right now was earthquakes,” Paul said. “You’d better tell me what you can about what happened abroad before the session begins.”
We gave him a high-level recount of our exploits in both Europe and Wales, including our limo ride and conversation with Senator Conway.
“Granted, Conway’s been pressing political buttons much harder on the Hill than I would’ve expected,” Paul said. “Still, it sounds like we’re in the midst of some sort of territorial grab over national security. I’ve had my suspicions, but what you said appears to confirm it. That being said, I’m not part of Conway’s grand Freedom Party movement, either.”
“Thank goodness for that,” I said. “What a group of extremist whack-jobs.”
“Be careful,” he cautioned. “Those whack-jobs are pretty close to singlehandedly running the country right now. The President counts many of them as key political supporters, if not close personal friends.”
“Who constitutes the Freedom Party exactly?” Sanders asked.
“They’re a tight-knit group and almost exclusively right-wing Republicans,” Paul replied. “Initially, they started out as a radical fringe of the GOP, but in recent years they’ve gained surprising momentum and public support, though mainly in southern states and throughout parts of the Midwest.”
“Do you think they’re trying to break away from the Republican Party and form their own?” she asked.
“Not as far as anyone can tell,” Paul replied. “They’d lose immediate access to the veritable treasure trove of GOP funding if they did that. Rather, they claim they’re just trying to put the party back into good form. As it is, they control most of the GOP leadership positions, so they’re not far from having full control of the party.”
“Congressman, do you know where Senator Conway ranks in the President’s most-favored list?” Sanders asked.
“He’s definitely at the top of the list of Graydon’s most trusted advisors,” he replied. “He’s also one of his close personal friends.”
“Whoever these idiots are, it looks and sounds like they’re trying to turn the country upside down,” I said. “And given all that’s been going on, it wouldn’t take much more to accomplish that.”
“Between the federalization of law enforcement and martial law being declared, things look pretty unsettling right now,” Sanders agreed.
“Unsettling, yes,” Paul said. “But the nation’s not falling apart at the seams just yet. There’s still a group of us in the middle and left who are trying to put together our own coalition. We’ve even made contact with a handful of more moderate Republicans. At this stage, I’m feeling hopeful.”
“Perhaps,” Sanders said. “However, do either of you remember how Rome fell?”
Paul shrugged. “A big empire got harder to manage as it spread across the world. Add to that, hosting a series of crazy or power-hungry Caesars didn’t help.”
“True,” Sanders said. “However, Rome’s biggest failure was from a corrupted Senate who ignored the needs of the Roman people and instead focused on their individual power struggles. Rome’s fall came from within. I’d rather not see that happen here.”
I stared at her. “I didn’t realize that you moonlighted as a history professor.”
“I minored in history and political science in college, thank you,” she said.
Paul and I exchanged surprised looks.
“Stick with her, Bringer,” he said. “If you’re lucky, maybe something will rub off on you. You could stand to grow a little smarter.”
Sanders beamed over that.
“Fun-ny,” I said.
“Say, aren’t you two bringing legal counsel with you?” Paul asked.
“Legal counsel? Hell, I’m just off a plane from overseas. I had no idea that I’d end up before a committee today,” I replied.
He frowned.
“Are you saying that I’m going to need legal counsel?” I asked.
“Let’s hope not,” he said.
That was hardly reassuring.
A knock at the door sounded and one of Paul’s staff peeked inside.
“Congressman, the session begins in less than twenty minutes.”
“Thank you,” he said. “Looks like it’s time to put on our stage faces.”
“Sorry, I only have the one face today,” I said.
“Then I hope it’s the polite one for a change,” he said. “I don’t want to have to try and coax some senator out of contempt charges against you.”
“Hypothetically, would you suspect any particular senator of that?” Sanders asked.
“Oh, given who’ll be in attendance today, you could pick most anyone who hails from the ‘R’ side of the aisle,” he replied.
* * *
As we approached the entrance to the meeting chambers I caught sight of both Wainright and Tevin, neither looking especially pleased.
“I’m heading on in,” Paul said, waving to us.
Sanders and I walked over to Tevin and Wainright.
“Why the long faces?” I asked. “You look like you’re attending a funeral or something.”
“Because, unlike you, we’re not invited to speak,” Tevin said.
“At least Sanders is with you,” Wainright said.
&
nbsp; “You’re kidding, right?” Sanders asked. “You think either of us is actually prepared for what lies ahead?”
“Yeah, you two are the ones co-leading our team,” I said.
“Yes, but neither Wainright nor I were in Wales with you,” Tevin said.
“Well, at least Sanders has worked the FBI bureaucracy before. She won’t be like a fish out of water,” I said. “She’s damned sure got both a better eye and memory than me.”
“Gee, such praise. Where’s my recorder when I need it?” Sanders asked.
I glanced at her and she returned a smug look.
Honestly, she was starting to get under my skin, and in a good sort of way, too.
“You two had better go in now,” Tevin said, glancing at his watch. “Good luck, but be careful what you say and how you say it. Wainright and I will try to muscle a couple of seats behind you, just in case you need us.”
“Thanks,” I said. “You know, you’re the second person this afternoon to suggest being careful about what I say.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” Tevin said. “The panel is comprised largely Freedom Party members, so expect to hear some dogma with their questions. Don’t let them bait you with any of it.”
“Great. Just what I wanted to hear,” I said.
“And for God’s sake, Bringer,” Paul urged. “Watch the hell out for Senator Savage from Oklahoma. She’s one of the worst of them.”
“Yeah, I just got a sense of that from her TV interview a few minutes ago,” I said.
“She practically defended an earthquake,” Sanders said.
“Careful,” Wainright cautioned. “She can cause a few, too.”
“Ha, no pressure,” I said.
“We’ll get it done, Bringer,” Sanders said, lightly patting me on the back.
“Mr. Bringer!”
I turned to see Senator Conway’s aide, Chad Welch, power-walking toward us.
“They’re ready for you now,” Welch said.
As promised, Wainright and Tevon were able to secure seats directly behind us in the first row of the gallery. It felt somewhat reassuring, knowing they were behind us for moral support.
